Dual-purpose spin dry mop bucket

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to mop buckets, including a housing, a spin basket mounted in the housing, and a driving mechanism rotating the spin basket. The present invention uses the driving mechanism to rotate an agitator for stirring and rubbing the mop head to remove dirt and solid matters and to synchronously rotate a spin basket for drying the mop head of the mop. Further, the present invention utilizes gears and one-way couplings to transfer driving force for rotating the agitator and the spin basket at the same time, saving much installation space and facilitating mop cleaning and drying operations.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to mop buckets and more particularly, to adual-purpose spin dry mop bucket, which can clean the mop head as wellas spin-dry the mop head.

2. Description of the Related Art

Mop is a tool commonly used for floor cleaning. A mop bucket may be usedwith a mop for removing water from the mop. A conventional mop bucketuses squeezer means to squeeze water out of the cotton strips of themop. FIG. 1 illustrates a mop bucket 50 constructed according to TaiwanUtility Model M338534. According to this design, the mop bucket 50comprises a housing 51, a mount 52, and a rotating unit 53 whichcomprises a support device, a rotating shaft, a transmission mechanismand a push bar unit that are coupled to one another for rotating a spinbasket 54 to spin-dry the cotton or micro-fiber mop head 61 of the mop60 inserted therein. This design of mop bucket 50 has drawbacks. Itsimply provides a vertical rinsing space 55 for rinsing the mop 60 invertical.

In actual application, moving the mop 60 vertically (Y-Y direction) inthe vertical rinsing space 55 cannot effectively clean the cotton ormicro-fiber mop head 61. Rinsing the mop head 61 in this manner cannotremove dirt from it effectively. Therefore, this prior art mop bucketdesign can simply spin dry the mop but cannot effectively clean the mophead.

Further, dirt deposited in the bottom of the vertical rinsing space ofthe mop bucket may be adhered to the mop head again during verticalmovement of the mop head in the vertical rinsing space, causing the mophead to be contaminated again.

Further, the mechanism for rotating the spin basket is complicated, notconvenient for smooth operation. Therefore, there is room forimprovement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is primary object of the present invention to provide a dual-purposespin dry mop bucket, which uses one same driving mechanism to rotate anagitator for stirring and rubbing the mop head of the mop to remove dirtand solid matters and to synchronously rotate a spin basket for dryingthe mop head of the mop.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a dual-purposespin dry mop bucket, which utilizes gears and one-way couplings totransfer driving force for rotating the agitator and the spin basket atthe same time, saving much installation space and facilitating mopcleaning and drying operations.

To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, adual-purpose spin dry mop bucket comprises a housing having a top openside, a recessed accommodation area in a front part of a bottom side ofthe housing, a spin basket mounted in said housing above said recessedaccommodation area, and a driving mechanism mounted in said recessedaccommodation area inside said housing and adapted for rotating saidspin basket. Further, said driving mechanism comprises a base having twoupright supports at two opposing lateral sides, a pedal having a tubularshaft located on a front end and pivotally connected between said twoupright supports of said base and an extension wall at one lateral sideof said pedal, and an arched tooth rack mounted on said extension wallof said pedal.

The driving mechanism also comprises a first gear pivotally mounted onsaid base, a second gear coaxially mounted on a top side of said firstgear and meshed with said arched tooth rack, a third gear pivotallymounted on said base and meshed with said first gear, a first one-waycoupling coaxially mounted on said third gear, and a first transmissionshaft having a bottom end thereof connected to said first one-waycoupling and a top end thereof inserted through said recessedaccommodation area and coupled to a connector at a bottom side of saidspin basket for rotating said spin basket;

The driving mechanism further comprises a transmission gear setconsisting of a series of meshed gears pivotally supported on said base,one of the gears of said transmission gear set being meshed with saidthird gear, a fourth gear pivotally supported on said base and meshedwith one gear of said transmission gear set, a second one-way couplingcoaxially mounted on said fourth gear, a second transmission shafthaving a bottom end thereof connected to said second one-way couplingand a top end thereof extending out of a bearing block in said housing,and an agitator coupled to said second transmission shaft and suspendingat a top side of said bearing block in said housing and rotatable bysaid second transmission shaft to stir and rub a mop head of a mop beingattached to said bearing block.

Thus, when compared to conventional spin buckets, the invention providesan additional agitator for stirring and rubbing the mop head to removedirt and solid matters from the mop head. Further, the same power sourcefor rotating the spin basket is utilized to rotate the agitator, savingmuch components and installation space. After cleaning of the mop headby the agitator, the mop head is spin-dried by the spin basket. Thus,cleaning and drying of the mop head can be done efficiently by thedual-purpose spin dry mop bucket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an oblique elevation of a mop bucket constructed according toTaiwan Utility Model M338634.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an elevational assembly view of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cutaway view of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic applied view of the present invention,illustrating a mop head cleaning action.

FIG. 7 is a schematic applied view of the present invention,illustrating a mop head drying action.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 2 to 7, a dual-purpose spin dry mop bucket inaccordance with the present invention comprises a housing 10 includes atop open side 11, a recessed accommodation area 12 in a front part of abottom side of the housing 10, a driving mechanism 30 mounted in therecessed accommodation area 12 and adapted for rotating a spin basket20. In this preferred embodiment, a carrying handle 14 as shown in FIG.2 arranged at the top side of the housing 10. The carrying handle 14 isan arched bar having a pivot rod 141 located on each of the two distalends and respectively pivotally coupled to a respective pivot hole 13 atthe housing 10.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, a water retaining ring 21 is mounted atthe top side of the spin basket 20 mounted in the housing 10 and therecessed accommodation area 12, having a water baffle 22 downwardlysuspending at one side for stopping water from splashing on thesurroundings outside the housing 10.

With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the driving mechanism 30 comprises abase 31 having two upright supports 311 at two opposing lateral sides, apedal 34 having a tubular shaft 341 located on a front end and pivotallyconnected between the two upright supports 311 of the base 31 and anextension wall 343 at one lateral side of the pedal 34, and an archedtooth rack 35 mounted on an extension wall 343 at one lateral side ofthe pedal 34. Besides, the tubular shaft 341 of the pedal 34 has its oneend loaded with a return spring 342 for automatic return.

With reference to FIG. 5, the driving mechanism 30 further comprises afirst gear 32 pivotally mounted on the base 31, a second gear 33coaxially mounted on a top side of the first gear 32 and meshed with thearched tooth rack 35 is a bevel gear fitting the configuration of thearched tooth rack 35, a third gear 36 pivotally mounted on the base 31and meshed with the first gear 32, a first one-way coupling 37 coaxiallymounted on the third gear 36, and a first transmission shaft 38 having abottom end and connecting to the first one-way coupling 37 and a top endthereof inserted through the recessed accommodation area 12 and coupledto a connector at a bottom side of the spin basket 20 for rotating thespin basket 20.

The driving mechanism 30 further comprises a transmission gear set 39consisting of a series of meshed gears pivotally supported on the base31, one of the gears of the transmission gear set 39 being meshed withthe third gear 36, a fourth gear 43 pivotally supported on the base 31and meshed with one gear of the transmission gear set 39, a secondone-way coupling 42 coaxially mounted on the fourth gear 43, a secondtransmission shaft 41 having a bottom end thereof connected to thesecond one-way coupling 42 and a top end thereof inserting through abearing block 15 in the housing 10, and an agitator 40 coupled to thesecond transmission shaft 41 and inserted through a top side of thebearing block 15 in the housing 10 and rotated by the secondtransmission shaft 41 for stirring and cleaning a mop head 61.

Thus, when the user steps on the pedal 34 during the use of thedual-purpose spin dry mop bucket, the tubular shaft 341 of the pedal 34is rotated, causing movement of the arched tooth rack 35 and furtherrotation of the second gear 33, and at the same time, the first gear 32is rotated with the second gear 33 to drive the third gear 36 inupwardly forcing the first one-way coupling 37 to rotate the firsttransmission shaft 38 in one single direction and simultaneously inlaterally forcing the transmission gears 39 to rotate the fourth gear 43and the second one-way coupling 42 and to further rotate the agitator 40on a bearing block 15 at the bottom side in the housing 10. At thistime, as shown in FIG. 6, attach the mop head 61 of the mop 60 to thetop side of the agitator 40, enabling dirt and solid matters to beforced away from the mop head 61 by a centrifugal force, and then, asshown in FIG. 7, insert the mop head 61 of the mop 60 into the spinbasket 20 for drying.

Based on the aforesaid arrangement, one single driving mechanism 30 cansynchronously rotate the agitator 40 and the spin basket 20 for cleaningand drying the mop head 61. Therefore, the invention involves aninventive step.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described indetail for purposes of illustration, various modifications andenhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except asby the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A dual-purpose spin dry mop bucket, comprising: ahousing having a top open side and a recessed accommodation area in afront part of a bottom side thereof; a spin basket mounted in saidhousing above said recessed accommodation area; and a driving mechanismmounted in said recessed accommodation area inside said housing andadapted for rotating said spin basket; wherein: said driving mechanismcomprises a base having two upright supports at two opposing lateralsides thereof; a pedal having a tubular shaft located on a front endthereof and pivotally connected between said two upright supports ofsaid base and an extension wall at one lateral side thereof; an archedtooth rack mounted on said extension wall of said pedal; a first gearpivotally mounted on said base; a second gear coaxially mounted on a topside of said first gear and meshed with said arched tooth rack; a thirdgear pivotally mounted on said base and meshed with said first gear; afirst one-way coupling coaxially mounted on said third gear; a firsttransmission shaft having a bottom end thereof connected to said firstone-way coupling and a top end thereof inserted through said recessedaccommodation area and coupled to a connector at a bottom side of saidspin basket for rotating said spin basket; a transmission gear setconsisting of a series of meshed gears pivotally supported on said base,one of the gears of said transmission gear set being meshed with saidthird gear; a fourth gear pivotally supported on said base and meshedwith one gear of said transmission gear set; a second one-way couplingcoaxially mounted on said fourth gear; a second transmission shafthaving a bottom end thereof connected to said second one-way couplingand a top end thereof extending out of a bearing block in said housing;and an agitator coupled to said second transmission shaft and suspendingat a top side of said bearing block in said housing and rotatable bysaid second transmission shaft to stir and rub a mop head of a mop beingattached to said bearing block.
 2. The dual-purpose spin dry mop bucketas claimed in claim 1, further comprising a carrying handle pivotallyarranged at a top side of said housing.
 3. The dual-purpose spin dry mopbucket as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a water retaining ringmounted at a top side of said spin basket, said water retaining ringhaving a water baffle downwardly suspending at one side thereof.
 4. Thedual-purpose spin dry mop bucket as claimed in claim 1, wherein saidsecond gear is a bevel gear fitting the configuration of said archedtooth rack.
 5. The dual-purpose spin dry mop bucket as claimed in claim1, wherein said tubular shaft of said pedal has a return spring loadedon one end thereof for automatic return.